LESSON 1.1 — AIRCRAFT INTRODUCTION
[ 1.1.1] Beginnings of Aircraft
BEFORE WE FLY — QUICK QUESTION
How old is humanity's dream of flight?
Myths like Garuda and Daedalus-and-Icarus embody the ancient, cross-cultural desire to fly.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
- Ancient myths — Garuda (the Hindu divine bird) and the Greek Daedalus and Icarus — embody the cross-cultural dream of flight; Icarus' melting wax wings became a lasting warning about overreaching.
- George Cayley's 1804 glider was the first true heavier-than-air aircraft able to carry a person — fixed wing for lift, separate tail for stability and control, and an undercarriage: the components of every modern aircraft.
- Otto Lilienthal, the 'Father of Flight', conducted over 2,000 gliding flights based on scientifically gathered aerodynamic data — one of the earliest science-driven approaches, directly influencing the Wright brothers.